Author: Alexander Goldman

Alex Goldman joined Capital Advisors Group in 2021. As an Analyst, he conducts money market and credit research to support and maintain Capital Advisors Group’s FundIQ® and CounterpartyIQ® products. Additionally, Alex is responsible for monitoring credits on the approved list and writes reports on a variety of topics including economic conditions and regulatory changes. Alex received a BSBA in Finance (magna cum laude) from Bryant University.

Strategic Divestitures: How Consumer Brands Are Shrinking to Grow
August 11, 2025August 11, 2025 Credit & Risk

5 min readKey Takeaways: Over the past year, several major consumer goods companies have announced plans to divest underperforming business segments and refocus on streamlined portfolios with stronger growth potential. These announcements follow marked top-line deceleration from their post-pandemic heydays, where revenues benefited from large price increases at the expense of margin compression. While profitability generally improved…

Read More Strategic Divestitures: How Consumer Brands Are Shrinking to Grow
AI Check-In
May 14, 2025June 10, 2025 Credit & Risk

6 min readBefore tariffs dominated the headlines, it was the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) that propelled movements in financial markets. The surging demand for AI models like ChatGPT and the advanced semiconductors needed to develop them primarily benefited the tech sector, while also driving increases in broader equities. Post-inauguration, attention to the nascent technology waned as…

Read More AI Check-In
Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Test Consumers’ Mettle
February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 Credit & Risk

6 min readIn the latest of President Trump’s proposed tariffs, the White House announced plans to impose a 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports, effective March 12th, 2025. This is not the first time that Trump has imposed tariffs on these metals: in 2018 Trump imposed a 25% tariff on steel and a 10% tariff on…

Read More Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Test Consumers’ Mettle
Will There Be a Renaissance in Oil and Gas?
January 17, 2025January 22, 2025 Credit & Risk

6 min readEntering the Presidential election, the greatest concern among voters was the economy[1] in the wake of decades-high inflation experienced under the Biden administration. By some metrics the economy was healthy at the end of President Biden’s tenure, with relatively low unemployment, equities at all-time highs, and the rate of inflation near the Fed’s 2% target….

Read More Will There Be a Renaissance in Oil and Gas?
What’s In Your Cart? Consumer Products Sales During Economic Transitions
August 12, 2024January 22, 2025 Economy & Rates, Other Topics

6 min readRecent inflation readings have shown promise that price increases are returning to the Fed’s 2% target, a positive for the consumer and economy that may allow the Fed to pivot towards rate cuts. Simultaneously, consumer product manufacturers are facing a pivot of their own. Changes in consumer shopping patterns suggest that the resilience consumers touted…

Read More What’s In Your Cart? Consumer Products Sales During Economic Transitions
May PCE: A Positive Report Following Several Disappointments
June 28, 2024August 5, 2024 Economy & Rates

2 min readThe PCE Price Index decelerated from the previous month as expected. Headline PCE came in at 2.6% year-over-year, and was unchanged month-over-month, down from the 2.7% annual rise and 0.3% monthly rise in April . Additionally, Core PCE came in at 2.6% year-over-year and 0.1% month-over-month, 0.2% below April PCE for both measurements. On a…

Read More May PCE: A Positive Report Following Several Disappointments
June FOMC: Expect Fewer Rate Cuts
June 18, 2024August 5, 2024 Economy & Rates

3 min readYesterday, the FOMC left the fed funds rate unchanged at 5.25%-5.50%, as expected. The committee noted modest further progress towards the Fed’s inflation target, an improvement from the lack of progress noted at the previous meeting. The Fed published an updated Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), which projected just one rate cut through the end…

Read More June FOMC: Expect Fewer Rate Cuts
Credit Implications of The Digital Markets Act
May 21, 2024January 22, 2025 Credit & Risk

9 min readIntroduction On March 7th, 2024, the European Commission (EC) began enforcing the Digital Markets Act (DMA), one of the most sweeping antitrust policies for Big Tech to date. Yet despite the broad scope covered under the legislation, the market reaction was relatively muted. This suggests a belief that the companies’ operational changes proposed to comply…

Read More Credit Implications of The Digital Markets Act
Apple Q2 Earnings: Share Buybacks, China, and AI
May 6, 2024January 22, 2025 Credit & Risk

2 min readFor the quarter ending March 30th 2024, Apple reported net income of $23.6B, down 2.2% year-over-year, on revenues of $90.8B which were 4.3% lower over the same period. The change in revenues reflected a 14.2% increase in services revenue and a 9.5% decrease in product revenues. Of particular note, iPhone sales which accounted for about…

Read More Apple Q2 Earnings: Share Buybacks, China, and AI
March FOMC Update
March 22, 2024July 2, 2024 Economy & Rates

3 min readStable Guidance Amid Inflation’s Bumpy Road Yesterday, the Federal Reserve left the Fed Funds Target Range unchanged at 5.25% – 5.50%. The Committee’s statement was largely unchanged from January, noting solid economic expansion, strong job gains, and low unemployment. The Fed published their updated Summary of Economic (SEP), which did not significantly change, except for…

Read More March FOMC Update

Author: Alexander Goldman

Strategic Divestitures: How Consumer Brands Are Shrinking to Grow

AI Check-In

Steel and Aluminum Tariffs Test Consumers’ Mettle

Will There Be a Renaissance in Oil and Gas?

What’s In Your Cart? Consumer Products Sales During Economic Transitions

May PCE: A Positive Report Following Several Disappointments

June FOMC: Expect Fewer Rate Cuts

Credit Implications of The Digital Markets Act

Apple Q2 Earnings: Share Buybacks, China, and AI

March FOMC Update

Connect

Contact Us